A variety of surgical drapes, both reusable and disposable, has been provided by the prior art for draping operating tables, other operating room equipment, and patients who are about to undergo surgery. Several of these drapes are designed to handle and/or collect fluids, such as blood, amniotic fluid and irrigating liquids, which are commonly encountered in certain surgical and obstetrical procedures.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,382 to Collins discloses a surgical drape comprising a fenestrated main sheet and at least one pocket on the outer surface thereof to receive fluid runoff from the site of the surgical procedure. The pocket may be formed from a sheet of material which is attached to the main sheet along its side edges and in its lower region.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,019 to Haswell shows a fluid loss receptacle comprising a first sheet of flexible material having a first end portion forming a first pocket and a second end portion. The first pocket is formed by folding an edge of the first sheet upon itself and sealing it together. A second pocket is attached to the sheet above the first pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,968 to Amin teaches a fenestrated surgical drape for cystoscopic procedures. The drape comprises a foldable pocket which is held open by a malleable frame so that the pocket can receive fluid runoff. The pocket has an upper portion with pleated side walls which help keep the pocket open and a lower funnel-like portion ending in a drain hole. A base may be coupled to the drain hole to conduct collected fluid to a waste container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,937 to Vinson discloses a fenestrated craniotomy drape having a fluid collection bag with a screening means. The bag has a front panel, a back panel and closed left and right sides. It also has a first opening, an upper chamber, a lower chamber, and a screening means between the upper and lower chambers. The screening means is a line of adherence between the front and back panels. This line of adherence extends from side to side of the bag and has nonadhered gaps therein. The fluid collection bag is secured in place by adhering the top edge of its back panel to the upper surface of the drape below its fenestration. The top edge of the front panel of the bag is secured to an opening means comprising a rod of flexible material preferably encased in a fluid impervious plastic film. This opening means has ends which extend beyond the sides of the bag and these ends are preferably bent and adhered to the upper surface of the surgical drape. Fluid control rails comprising lengths of flexible tubing which are preferably encased in plastic film are sealed along their entire length to the upper surface of the drape, one such rail being placed on either side of the fenestration in the drape. The lower ends of these rails are secured over the top edge of the back panel of the fluid collection bag and extend to the open end of the bag and are supposed to direct fluids into the bag. The top edge of the front panel of the bag is not coextensive with the top edge of the back panel of the bag; as a result there is a "gap" at each side of the bag and there is a possibility of fluid leakage at the sides of the bag near its open end when the drape is in use. The fluid control rails are disclosed as being only about 10 mm high while the control means is disclosed as being about 17 mm high, as a result of which these structural components are ineffective in handling large amounts of fluids and preventing them from splashing onto the outer regions of the drape or OR personnel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,458 to McAllester, filed on the same day as U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,937 and assigned to the same assignee, discloses a surgical drape comprising an upper surface, a surgical site, a fluid collection bag attached to said upper surface, fluid control rails alongside but spaced from the surgical site, and means for holding the bag open when the drape is being used. The fluid control rails channel fluid into the opening of the bag and are constructed of flexible, thick-walled tubing encased in a flexible sheet material. The opening means comprise a flexible polymeric foam rod also encased in a flexible sheet material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,642 to Martin et al. discloses a Caesarean section drape comprising a base sheet having a primary operative area. A sheet of liquid-impervious plastic film overlies and is secured to the base sheet in at least part of the operative area and a sheet of first liquid absorbent material is secured to the outer surface of the liquid impervious film to form a laminated structure. The primary operative area has a region in which the base sheet, the liquid-impervious film and the sheet of first liquid absorbent material are coextensive. The coextensive region has a fenestration. A U-shaped region of supplemental absorbent material partially surrounds and is spaced from the fenestration. This U-shaped region of supplemental absorbent material may be retained within a pocket whose opening faces the fenestration. This pocket is formed from the edge portions of the plastic film/first absorbent material laminate which is folded back upon itself toward the fenestration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,245 to Morris discloses a fenestrated surgical drape for endourological procedures comprising a main sheet, a series of tube holders and a fluid collection bag. The fluid collection bag is secured to the main sheet between the fenestration and side edge of the main sheet. There is one tubing holder on each side of the fenestration. Each of these tube holders has an extended end which extends into the fluid collection bag to direct fluid into the bag.